The 7 Most Fun Restaurants in Tampa, FL
Tampa’s dining scene turns up the fun! While Tampa offers its fair share of straight-laced lounges and upscale steakhouses, it’s also easy to find the fun side of Tampa’s dining scene once you know where to look. Yes, dinner out for adults really can be all fun and games. Here’s our list of seven super fun restaurants in Tampa, FL when you’re looking for a little something extra with your side of fries.
Shuffle
2612 North Tampa Street, Tampa, FL
(813) 450-3797
Shuffle is the ultimate spot for a game night out! This popular restaurant has giant shuffleboard courts that guests can enjoy while dining and drinking. While scores may vary, everyone’s a winner with a menu that features nachos, tots, tangy wings, an “adult” grilled cheese with caramelized bacon jam, and the tasty Shuffle burger. Shuffle also has a great selection of drafts and cans.
SpookEasy Lounge
1909 North 15th Street, Tampa, FL
(813) 857-5125
This place is horrifyingly awesome! This lounge with a haunted theme offers both chilling drinks and genuine chills at every turn. The setting will be perfect if you’ve ever wished you could spend time in a haunted mansion that looks like it’s plucked straight from your favorite horror flick. Menu items that include the Wicked Wings, Bone Daddy Burger, Hotter Than Heck Fries, Bloody BBQ Flatbread, and Swamp Thing will have you in stitches! In addition to being a fun spot for dinner, SpookEasy Lounge is also the premier kava bar of Tampa. Kava is a botanical drink from the South Pacific that is believed to benefit the brain and central nervous system.
Riveters Tampa
2301 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL
(813) 723-5197
Riveters Tampa is everyone’s favorite spot for wings and cold drinks! What makes this spot so fun is its eclectic, nostalgic feel. It’s a top pick if you love retro-themed eateries. A standout on the Riveters menu is the Giant Pretzel that consists of a traditional Bavarian-style pretzel with house-made beer cheese. Other items that deserve a second look include the Hellcat Wings, Propaganda Poutine Fries made with Wisconsin cheddar, Munition Mussels, the Bomber Burger, and the Cram It Prime Rib Sandwich.
The Dinner Detective
5312 Avion Park Drive, Tampa, FL (Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport Westshore)
(866) 496-0535
This true-crime dining experience places you right in the center of a murder mystery! Get to the bottom of a crime while eating your way to the bottom of your dish. The Dinner Detective offers such a fun way to connect with others. In addition to being presented with clues, you’ll also be presented with a full-course meal consisting of appetizers, an entrée, and dessert! After nibbling on bruschetta and chicken skewers, choose from chicken marsala, blackened salmon, and vegetarian roasted pepper stuffed with quinoa. The dessert menu features bourbon banana bread pudding with caramel.
Lowry Parcade & Tavern
1213 West Waters Avenue, Tampa, FL
(813) 443-1609
Lowry Parcade & Tavern is Tampa’s only classic arcade bar! This place hits all the right notes for nostalgia and fun. In addition, there’s a great craft beer list full of locally brewed winners. The arcade games and pinball machines showcase all of your favorites from the 1980s and 1990s. There’s also a game-themed 8 BIT BYTES FOOD menu featuring burgers, loaded fries, wings, onion rings, sweet potato fries, and other bar staples. Make Lowry Parcade & Tavern your top pick for a night out with friends when you’re not in the mood to get stuck sitting in a stuffy booth all night.
Luv Child
516 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL
(813) 213-0100
If you have a thing for themed restaurants, you’re going to love Luv Child. This restaurant’s unique theme brings you back to Cuba in the 1970s. Feel free to wear some bright colors to match the colorful menu and lively ambiance of this restaurant. In fact, you’ll recognize Luv Child immediately as you pass it on the street because the exterior is wallpapered with a huge tapestry of colorful flowers set above an open-air bar with colorful stools. The all-day menu at Luv Child features small plates consisting of yucca fries, chimichurri sliced steak, and papas fritas. One standout item on the menu is the Make Your Own Cuban Street Taco Platter consisting of your choice of soft corn tortilla, flour tortillas, or paratha tortillas with house-made LUV sauce, salsa roja, pickled onion, cilantro, and jalapeno served over rice and beans. You’re also going to want to stay just a little bit longer after you see the dessert menu offering flan, churros, and bread pudding.
Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen
11109 North 30th Street, Tampa, FL
Dining at this draft house is barrels of fun! You already know that this is the place to come for some of the best beer in Tampa. What you may not know is that the food menu is also incredible. Feast on pan-seared diver scallops, smoked short rib, potato-crusted snapper, wedge salad, and more! The cheesecake “cupcake” on the dessert menu features griddled graham cake and whipped cheesecake with strawberry topping. Due to the popularity of the Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen in Tampa, reservations are recommended on the weekends.
For more recommendations on where to eat and drink in the city, check out our Tampa city page!
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